HL Chemistry - Option A: Modern Analytical Chemistry: Atomic Absorption Spectros
HL Chemistry - Option A: Modern Analytical Chemistry: Atomic Absorption Spectros
HL Chemistry - Option A: Modern Analytical Chemistry: Atomic Absorption Spectros
ATOMIC ABSORPTION
SPECTROSCOPY
A.6.1 State the use of Atomic Absorption (AA)
spectroscopy.
Atomic absorption spectroscopy is a quantitative
method of analysis that is applicable to many metals
and a few nonmetals.
A few examples include:
Al in blood serum
Ca in blood serum, plants, soil, water
Cu in alloys
Cr in sea water
Fe in plants
Only a drop of sample needed
The metals need not be removed from other
components (AA is a highly selective technique)
Sensitive in the ppm range (even ppb with the right
equipment)
A.6.2 Describe the principles of AA.
Metal Zn Fe Cu Ca Na
λ (nm) 214 248 325 423 589
A.6.2 Describe the principles of AA.
Sample is
vaporized
in the flame.
Aspirator
tube sucks the
sample into the
flame in the
sample
compartment.
A.6.3 Describe the use of each of the following components of
the AA spectrometer: fuel, atomizer, monochromatic light
source, monochromatic detector, read out.
The resulting
data can be
presented in
a variety of
ways, but
typically a
print out is
made.
A.6.4 Determine the concentration of a solution from a
calibration curve.
0.400
R = 0.9988 • The equation was
Absorbance
then used to
0.300
calculate the
0.200 concentration of Pb
(II) ions with an
0.100
absorbance of 0.340.
0.000 • The result, 0.357
0.000 0.100 0.200 0.300 0.400 0.500 0.600
[Pb+2] (ppm)
ppm, is displayed
above the graph.